[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Fun Thanksgiving Facts

[jellybeanfarm at gmail.com]

Hello:

 

Instead of trivia questions I’m sharing a bunch of fun Thanksgiving facts.
I certainly learned some new things and hope you do too.  I found some of
the facts to be surprising.

 

*	In 2023, which state is projected to raise the most turkeys? Answer:
Minnesota
*	How many balloons are featured in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade? Answer: 25
*	According to a poll
<https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/the-least-popular-thanksgiving-side-dis
h/> , what Thanksgiving side dish is the least popular among Americans?
Answer: Green bean casserole
*	According to Merriam-Webster
<https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/friendsgiving-meaning> , when was
the term "Friendsgiving" first circulated? Answer: 2007
*	Referred to as the "pumpkin capital" of the U.S., what town is home
to the Libby's pumpkin
<https://www.today.com/food/how-libby-s-canned-pumpkin-puree-made-t167095>
canning plant? Answer: Morton, Illinois
*	What year did "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" debut on television?
Answer: 1973
*	In 2022, how much did the average Thanksgiving dinner cost per
person? Answer: $64.05, according to the
<https://www.fb.org/news-release/farm-bureau-survey-shows-thanksgiving-dinne
r-cost-up-20>  American Farm Bureau Federation.
*	Approximately how many supermarkets and grocery stores are there in
the U.S.? Answer: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020 there were
62,300.
*	According to Macy's, how many people attend the attend the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York each year? Answer: 3.5 million.
*	How many pounds of glitter are sprinkled on Macy's Thanksgiving
Parade floats and costumes? Answer: 300 pounds.
*	What movie holds the record for the highest-grossing weekend
<https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/01/media/frozen-2-box-office-thanksgiving-recor
d/index.html>  in Thanksgiving history? Answer: "Frozen 2"
*	Are pumpkins technically a fruit or a vegetable? Answer: Fruit
*	According to the U.S. Census Bureau, how many places in the U.S. are
named Cranberry? Answer: Five
*	According to Guinness World Records, how much does the world's
largest pumpkin pie weigh? Answer: Made in 2010, the record-breaking pie
weighed 3,699 lbs
*	How many calories are in a typical holiday dinner? Answer: According
to the Calorie Control Council
<https://caloriecontrol.org/popular-holiday-dishes/> , approximately 3000.
*	How many minutes a day does the average American (15 and older)
spend eating and drinking? Answer: According to the USDA
<https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2011/11/22/how-much-time-do-americans-spend
-eating> , 67 minutes.
*	What is an adult female turkey called? Answer: A hen
*	What is an adult male turkey called? Answer: A tom
*	What temperature should a turkey be cooked to for safe eating?
Answer: 165 °F
*	What holiday was the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
commemorating? Answer: Christmas
*	Which states were forecasted to raise the most turkeys in 2022?
Answer (in order): Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri
and Virginia, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
<https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/resources/thanksgiving-day-ff.
pdf> .
*	Has there ever been a hurricane on Thanksgiving Day? Answer: Though
November hurricanes are rare, Hurricane Otto hit Central America on
Thanksgiving Day in 2016 and is the strongest hurricane
<https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/the-most-notorious-november-atlant
ic-hurricanes/602213>  on record so late in the season.
*	What is the most popular day to shop during Thanksgiving
weekend?Answer: Black Friday is the most popular with 69% of those surveyed
planning to shop on the day, according to the National Retail Federation
<https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/record-1663-million-shoppers-ex
pected-during-thanksgiving-weekend> .
*	What snowstorm blanketed New York City on Thanksgiving Day, causing
problems for the Macy’s parade? Answer: On Nov. 23, 1989, four inches of
snow <https://www.farmersalmanac.com/historic-thanksgiving-storms-8189>
fell on the Big Apple, marking the first Thanksgiving Day storm in more than
50 years.
*	Which retailer was the first to host a Thanksgiving Day parade?
Answer: Gimbels department store hosted a Thanksgiving Day parade in
Philadelphia in 1920, four years before Macy’s held their first.
*	Which U.S. president was the first to officially pardon a turkey?
Answer: In 1989, George H.W. Bush "presented a Presidential pardon" to a
"fine tom turkey" — and it's been an annual tradition ever since.
*	What were the top three gift categories for gift-giving in 2022
<https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/record-1663-million-shoppers-ex
pected-during-thanksgiving-weekend> ? Answer (in order): Clothing, gift
cards and toys
*	Which U.S. Founding Father famously referred to turkeys as "a bird
of courage"? Answer: Benjamin Franklin
*	What do Americans report being most thankful for? Answer: Family,
health and life, according to a 2021 survey by YouGov
<https://today.yougov.com/topics/society/articles-reports/2021/11/24/thanksg
iving-what-are-americans-thankful-for> .
*	 True or false: The Pilgrims referred to themselves as “Pilgrims.”
Answer: False. They called themselves "Separatists"
*	Which two NFL teams have played a game on Thanksgiving Day since
1966? Answer: Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys
*	What did the Spaniards likely eat at the first Thanksgiving? Answer:
Based on what they brought over on their ships, it was likely a pork and
bean stew, sea biscuits and red wine.
*	 How long can a turkey be stored in the freezer? Answer: An unopened
whole turkey can be frozen for up to two years, according to Butterball
<https://www.butterball.com/about-us/faqs> .
*	How long is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route? Answer: 2.5
miles
*	What notable Native American served as an interpreter between the
Pilgrims and Native Americans? Answer: Squanto
*	How many passengers were on the Mayflower? Answer: 102
*	When was the first Thanksgiving feast held? Answer:  November 1621
*	What was on the menu of the first Thanksgiving? Answer: Venison,
goose, duck, fish, and porridge or bread made from corn
*	When was Thanksgiving declared a national celebration? Answer:
President George Washington designated November 26 as a Day of National
Thanksgiving in 1789.
*	In 2022, how many people shopped on Thanksgiving weekend? Answer: A
record-breaking 196.7 million consumers, according to the NRF
<https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/record-1967-million-consumers-s
hop-over-thanksgiving-holiday-weekend> .
*	When was it decided that Thanksgiving would be observed on the last
Thursday in November? Answer: On Oct. 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed a
proclamation, stating the last Thursday in November was Thanksgiving.
*	When did the Mayflower officially depart England for America?
Answer: September 6, 1620
*	How long was the Mayflower’s voyage from England to America? Answer:
66 days
*	Where did the Pilgrims first land when arriving on America’s shores?
Answer: Provincetown, Massachusetts
*	Where did the Pilgrims settle? Answer: Though the Mayflower
initially landed off the coast of Cape Cod, they ultimately settled in
Plymouth, Massachusetts.
*	What was the first official act of legislation by the Pilgrims?
Answer: On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower Compact was written and signed
by the male Pilgrims and passengers of the Mayflower laying the groundwork
for the first government.
*	How did the cranberry get its name? Answer: Originally dubbed the
"craneberry," Pilgrims likened the pink blossoms that appear on cranberries
to the heads of Sandhill Cranes.
*	How many cranberries are in one pound? Answer: Roughly 440
*	How many cranberries are produced each year? Answer: U.S. farmers
harvest approximately 40,000 acres annually
*	How long did the first Thanksgiving feast last? Answer: Three days
*	How many colonists were living in America in 1620? Answer:
Approximately 2,499, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
<https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/11/fun-facts-about-thanksgiving
-from-turkey-texas-to-pilgrim-michigan.html> .
*	How many places in the U.S. have the word “Turkey” in their name?
Answer: Seven, per the U.S. Census Bureau
<https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/11/fun-facts-about-thanksgiving
-from-turkey-texas-to-pilgrim-michigan.html> . Turkey City, Texas; Turkey
Creek, Arizona; Turkey Creek, Stone County, Arkansas; Turkey Creek,
McPherson County, Kansas; Turkey Creek, Louisiana; Turkey, North Carolina
and Turkey Valley, Yankton County, South Dakota
*	How many Pilgrims were at the first Thanksgiving harvest feast in
1621? Answer: Approximately 53
*	What household hazard triples on Thanksgiving? Answer: Fires. There
are more than three times the daily average calls about home cooking fires
on Thanksgiving Day, according to the National Fire Protection Association
<https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-c
auses/Thanksgiving> .
*	How many hours does it take to thaw a frozen turkey in the
refrigerator? Answer: Approximately 24 hours for each four to five pounds of
frozen turkey according to the National Grocers Association
<https://www.nationalgrocers.org/news/6-tips-to-remember-for-a-food-safe-tha
nksgiving/> .
*	Once cooked, how long can turkey sit before it should be
refrigerated? Answer: No longer than two hours
*	How long should leftover turkey be stored? Answer: Leftover turkey
can be stored for up to four days in the refrigerator. If turkey is stored
in an airtight container, it can be stored in the freezer for up to two
years.
*	How many Pilgrims survived the first winter in America? Answer:
About half
*	On average, how many Americans hit the road on Thanksgiving? Answer:
Roughly 50 million, according to AAA and INRIX
<https://newsroom.aaa.com/2021/11/buckle-up-aaa-predicts-thanksgiving-travel
-to-rebound-almost-to-pre-pandemic-levels/> .
*	Which Founding Father once proclaimed, “No citizen of the U.S. shall
refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day”? Answer: Alexander Hamilton
*	When is the worst time to travel for Thanksgiving? Answer: According
to AAA and INRIX
<https://newsroom.aaa.com/2021/11/buckle-up-aaa-predicts-thanksgiving-travel
-to-rebound-almost-to-pre-pandemic-levels/> , the Wednesday before
Thanksgiving between noon and 8:00 p.m.
*	How many places in the U.S. have the word “Pilgrim” in their name?
Answer: Two, per the U.S. Census
<https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/11/fun-facts-about-thanksgiving
-from-turkey-texas-to-pilgrim-michigan.html>
<https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/11/fun-facts-about-thanksgiving
-from-turkey-texas-to-pilgrim-michigan.html>  Bureau
<https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/11/fun-facts-about-thanksgiving
-from-turkey-texas-to-pilgrim-michigan.html>  — Pilgrim, Michigan and
Pilgrim, Dade County, Missouri.
*	Which U.S. metro areas experience the worst pre-Thanksgiving
congestion? Answer: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York
City, according to AAA and INRIX
<https://newsroom.aaa.com/2021/11/buckle-up-aaa-predicts-thanksgiving-travel
-to-rebound-almost-to-pre-pandemic-levels/> .
*	How many turkeys are consumed each Thanksgiving? Answer: The
<http://www.eatturkey.org/>  National Turkey Federation estimates Americans
eat about 45 to 46 million on Thanksgiving.
*	True or false: Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday of the
year. Answer: False. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is the
busiest time for travel with upwards of 90 to 100 million Americans
traveling during that time, according to AAA.
*	True or false: The Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving with
the Sioux Native Americans. Answer: False. The Pilgrims joined the Wampanoag
Native People (which includes the Mashpee, Aquinnah and Manomet groups) for
the first harvest gathering.
*	Which state produces the most cranberries? Answer: Wisconsin.
*	What are the top ten most popular Thanksgiving foods? Answer (in
order): Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, gravy, rolls and
bread, pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes or yams, apple pie, cranberry sauce and
corn, according to a survey by the National Grocers Association
<https://www.nationalgrocers.org/news/grocers-can-give-thanks-for-a-season-o
f-plenty/> .
*	What are the three most-disliked Thanksgiving foods? Answer:
According to a 2021 survey by The Vacationer
<https://thevacationer.com/thanksgiving-travel-survey-2021/> , cranberry
sauce tops the list followed by turkey and green bean casserole.
*	What do Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon and Taylor Swift
all have in common? Answer: According to the New England Historic
Genealogical Society
<https://mayflower.americanancestors.org/famous-descendants> , they’re all
descendants of passengers or crew on the Mayflower.
*	 True or false: Pilgrim Monument is located at Plymouth Rock.
Answer: False. The Pilgrim Monument is located in Provincetown,
Massachusetts.